Psychology 2035A/B Chapter 1: Psychology 2035 Chapter 1 Notes.docx

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazlewood

Document Summary

Technological advances, as impressive as they may be have not led to perceptible improvement in our collective health and happiness. Despite technological progress, social problems and personal difficulties are more prevalent and prominent than ever before: technology provides us with countless time-saving devices / most of us complain about not having enough time. Cut back on sleep to juggle work (follows people home), family, responsibilities: range of life choices increases / overabundance of life choices has unexpected costs. Errors are more likely when decisions are more complex. Increased freedom of choice did not enhance tranquility or mental health: technology provided us with unprecedented control over the world around us (medicine, agriculture) / technology has a devastating impact on the environment. Crises sound like technical problems that call for technological answers but they are also behavioral problems fueled by overconsumption and waste. Change creates feelings of anxiety and uncertainty: we try to alleviate by searching for a sense of direction.